Pages

Inside and outside of Oakland

Rogers, Land lead pack of in GOP poll for Michigan U.S. Senate seat

A new poll sets up the possibility of a three-way primary for Republicans to pick a candidate to run for retiring U.S. Sen. Carl Levin's seat in 2014.
An automated poll of 1,158 likely Republican primary voters taken May 20 indicates U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers from Howell and former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land lead a pack of Republicans interested in taking a look at the open U.S. Senate seat.
Democrats have begun to coalesce behind U.S. Rep. Gary Peters from Bloomfield Township as a successor for Levin, who has opted not to seek a seventh six-year term.
The poll shows Rogers leading with 35.66 percent to 28.84 percent for Land among nine Republicans listed.
U.S. Rep. Justin Amash from Cascade was third at 10.28 percent and Holland Mayor Kurt Dykstra was fourth at 9.93 percent.
State Sen. Roger Kahn was fifth at 5.18 percent, and Macomb County state Rep. Pete Lund was sixth at 4.88 percent.
Finishing far down the list was former congressional candidate Rob Steele in seventh with 2.88 percent followed by former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis eighth at 1.38 percent. AT&T Michigan President Jim Murray polled last at 1.21 percent.
Republicans hope they can win enough contests nationally to wrest control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats in 2014.
The automated poll was a combined effort by Murray Communications, Portable Insights, and Combat Data.
It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.88 percent.
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak said last week he believed two or three Republicans would emerge as primary candidates for the nomination. But Republicans duking it out in a primary could help Democrats keep control of the seat.